早稲田社学 2011 III
Why should Asian families be such powerful agents of influence? Here I need to step back a bit and note some very great differences between Asian and Western societies. Asians are much more inter-dependent and collectivist than Westerners, who are much more independent and individualist These East-West differences go back at least twenty- five-hundred years to the time of Confucius and the ancient Greeks.
Confucius emphasized strict observance of proper role relations as the foundation of society, the relations being primarily those of emperor to subject, husband to wife, parent to child, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend Chinese society, which was the prototype of all East Asian societies, was an agricultural one. In these societies, especially those that depend on irrigation, farmers need to cooperate with one another because cooperation is essential to economic activity. Such societies also tend to be very hierarchical, with a tradition of power flowing from the top to the bottom. Social bonds and constraints are strong. The most important part of Chinese society in particular is the extended family unit Obedience to the will of the elders was, and to a substantial degree still is, an important bond linking people to one another.
This traditional role of the family is still a powerful factor in the relations of second- and even third-generation Asian Americans and their parents. I have had Asian American students tell me that they would like to go into psychology or philosophy but that it is not possible because their parents want them to be a doctor or an engineer For my European American students, their parents' preferences for their occupations are about as relevant to them as their parents' taste in art.
The Greek tradition gave rise to a fundamentally new type of social relations The economy of Greece was based not on large-scale agriculture but on trade, hunting, fishing, herding, piracy, and small agribusiness enterprises such as wine making and olive oil production. None of these activities required close, formalized relations among people The Greeks, as a consequence, were independent and had the luxury of being able to act without being bound so much by social constraints They had a lot of freedom to express their talents and satisfy their wants. The individual personality was highly valued and considered a proper object of commentary and study Roman society continued the independent, individualistic tradition of the Greeks, and after a long period in which the European peasant was probably little more individualist than his Chinese counterpart, the Renaissance and then the Industrial Revolution took up again the individualist strain of Western culture and even accelerated it..
(Adapted from Intelligence and How to Get It)
1 According to this article, which TWO of the following are true?
a. It is said that the Greeks generally prefer to do things together with other people,
b. For the most part Westerners rely on others and fail to act on their own.
c. China was a farming society whose members found it necessary to help one another
d. In ancient Greece the people of advanced age were usually disregarded and neglected
e. Asian societies rarely tended to stress fairness and economic equality.
f. The societies of Greece and Rome had similar views concerning the individual,
g. Asian Americans do not follow the traditional custom of strong family ties
h. The foundation of Greek society is quite similar in many ways to that of China
2 According to this article, which one of the following is NOT true?
a. In East Asia farmers seldom had to worry about an adequate supply of water
b. Individualism has been a prominent feature in the societies of the West.
c. The Greeks were never totally restrained by the pressures and controls of society
d. In East Asia personal decisions often depend on the wishes and desires of parents,
e. The foundations of Greek society and Chinese society were fundamentally different.
3 Which one of the following could best be used in place of the phrase the prototype of?
a. the final basis for
b. the previous example of
c. the major component for
d. the main measure of
e. the original model of
4 According to this article, which one of the following best describes the society of China?
a. individualistic, agricultural, and traditional
b. collectivistic, hierarchical, and familial
c. interdependent, flexible, and influential
d. cultural, independent, and constrained
e. restrained, cooperative, and proud
5 Which one of the following best describes the main point of this article?
a. Hunters and gatherers tend to be much more independent than traditional farmers,
b. Europeans find it easier than Chinese to adapt to unfamiliar and contrasting societies,
c. Asian Americans will become more and more Asian as time slowly progresses
d. Ancient differences between countries will gradually become more meaningless
e. Cultural differences between East and West are closely related to historical factors.
Confucius emphasized strict observance of proper role relations as the foundation of society, the relations being primarily those of emperor to subject, husband to wife, parent to child, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend Chinese society, which was the prototype of all East Asian societies, was an agricultural one. In these societies, especially those that depend on irrigation, farmers need to cooperate with one another because cooperation is essential to economic activity. Such societies also tend to be very hierarchical, with a tradition of power flowing from the top to the bottom. Social bonds and constraints are strong. The most important part of Chinese society in particular is the extended family unit Obedience to the will of the elders was, and to a substantial degree still is, an important bond linking people to one another.
This traditional role of the family is still a powerful factor in the relations of second- and even third-generation Asian Americans and their parents. I have had Asian American students tell me that they would like to go into psychology or philosophy but that it is not possible because their parents want them to be a doctor or an engineer For my European American students, their parents' preferences for their occupations are about as relevant to them as their parents' taste in art.
The Greek tradition gave rise to a fundamentally new type of social relations The economy of Greece was based not on large-scale agriculture but on trade, hunting, fishing, herding, piracy, and small agribusiness enterprises such as wine making and olive oil production. None of these activities required close, formalized relations among people The Greeks, as a consequence, were independent and had the luxury of being able to act without being bound so much by social constraints They had a lot of freedom to express their talents and satisfy their wants. The individual personality was highly valued and considered a proper object of commentary and study Roman society continued the independent, individualistic tradition of the Greeks, and after a long period in which the European peasant was probably little more individualist than his Chinese counterpart, the Renaissance and then the Industrial Revolution took up again the individualist strain of Western culture and even accelerated it..
(Adapted from Intelligence and How to Get It)
1 According to this article, which TWO of the following are true?
a. It is said that the Greeks generally prefer to do things together with other people,
b. For the most part Westerners rely on others and fail to act on their own.
c. China was a farming society whose members found it necessary to help one another
d. In ancient Greece the people of advanced age were usually disregarded and neglected
e. Asian societies rarely tended to stress fairness and economic equality.
f. The societies of Greece and Rome had similar views concerning the individual,
g. Asian Americans do not follow the traditional custom of strong family ties
h. The foundation of Greek society is quite similar in many ways to that of China
2 According to this article, which one of the following is NOT true?
a. In East Asia farmers seldom had to worry about an adequate supply of water
b. Individualism has been a prominent feature in the societies of the West.
c. The Greeks were never totally restrained by the pressures and controls of society
d. In East Asia personal decisions often depend on the wishes and desires of parents,
e. The foundations of Greek society and Chinese society were fundamentally different.
3 Which one of the following could best be used in place of the phrase the prototype of?
a. the final basis for
b. the previous example of
c. the major component for
d. the main measure of
e. the original model of
4 According to this article, which one of the following best describes the society of China?
a. individualistic, agricultural, and traditional
b. collectivistic, hierarchical, and familial
c. interdependent, flexible, and influential
d. cultural, independent, and constrained
e. restrained, cooperative, and proud
5 Which one of the following best describes the main point of this article?
a. Hunters and gatherers tend to be much more independent than traditional farmers,
b. Europeans find it easier than Chinese to adapt to unfamiliar and contrasting societies,
c. Asian Americans will become more and more Asian as time slowly progresses
d. Ancient differences between countries will gradually become more meaningless
e. Cultural differences between East and West are closely related to historical factors.
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